1. Cooperative Groupwork Unit.Pdf

Anna Martin Lee Mathson Middle School Ancient & Medieval World History Appropriate for Grades 6-7

Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes: A Cooperative Group-work Mini Unit

Mini-Unit Objective: Students will analyze the effects of geography on and cultural interchange between Islam and West Africa by examining and creating a creative presentation using primary sources and artifacts relating to trans-Saharan trade and adaptation to the desert. Students will be assessed on their individual primary source analysis and their contributions to the group’s presentation on the element of culture and/or theme of geography assigned.

CA Standards:

Background: This unit is intended to serve as a capstone for the study of two separate units on the spread of Islam and the trans-Saharan trade empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Alternatively, it could be used as an exploratory unit bridging those two units. Depending on the number of students and time/resources available, teachers may want to limit the number of cooperative group tasks to fewer than those offered in this unit. Also, if studying ancient history, a selection of just one or two of the cooperative group work activities related to nomadic lifestyle and adaptation to the environment might be used to culminate or begin the study of settled versus nomadic ways of life.

Cooperative groups of 4-5 students should be pre-assigned with a heterogeneous grouping intended to mix reading levels, gender, and multiple abilities to best help each other to complete the tasks. If students do not frequently use cooperative groupings, have them complete a short group skill builder, such as creating a team name or finding two commonalities between them to ease group tension and feel comfortable working as a group. Ideally, this unit will be taught after the class has already completed some group skill builders to teach important group work skills.

The unit’s design is based on the work of the Program for Complex Instruction at the Stanford University School of Education.

Unit Overview:

Expected Time: The unit is expected to take 3-5 days depending on the length of class time and on how much background and content was pre-taught during the preceding units on Islam and trans-Saharan trade. More time may be needed to review or pre-teach vocabulary and/or to give adequate time for group discussion of primary source materials. The group presentations are not meant to be polished or labor-intensive, such that giving only one to two periods to create and present them is adequate to show their learning.

Day 1 (50 minutes)— Explain that students are going to be working in groups to demonstrate their knowledge of the intersection of Islamic and West African cultures through the trans-Saharan trade. Each group will be given a set of artifacts, photographs, and/or primary source texts to examine and discuss together. Then each student will complete an individual report found in the group’s folder. On the second day, students will work to create the presentation described in their group’s folder relating to the cultural element and/or geographic theme studied by their group the day before. On the third day, groups will present to the rest of the class. Explain that students will be judged individually and as a group and will have a chance to rate themselves and their group members.1

Break students into groups by projecting their new seating and group roles: materials manager, facilitator, summarizer, and harmonizer (if a group has 5 people, separate harmonizer and timekeeper, if only four, give the role of timekeeper to the harmonizer). Groups should be mixed heterogeneously by reading level, multiple abilities, and gender. Have the groups complete a short group skill builder, such as creating a team name or finding two commonalities between them to ease group tension and feel comfortable working as a group.

Have the materials manager open the group’s folder and distribute the task card to the facilitator and enable all group members to see the primary sources and any artifacts provided. Have the facilitator read the task card to the group and facilitate having the group read and discuss their sources (on the resource cards and/or objects in the folder/box). Give the timekeeper a head’s up on how much time the group will have until the end of the period and the expectation that by the end of the period the group will have read, discussed, and each completed the individual reports on their group’s topic. 2 As groups work, your job is to check in with groups and listen to their discussions. If a group gets stuck, the harmonizer may raise his/her hand and explain the group’s problem and ask for help. Try to move

1 If this is a capstone to a unit on Islam and West Africa’s trans-Saharan trade, then you do not need to pre-teach any vocabulary or orient the class to the general geography of the area; however, if this is taught as an exploratory unit or if you have a large amount of English learners, you may want to pre-teach or review some key vocabulary terms that will come up for students: environment, adaptation, resource, nomad(ic), Islam, Sahara Desert, Arabic, sub-Saharan, trans-Saharan, Qu’ran, caravan, and trade route. 2 Depending on the skill level of your students and their familiarity with working in groups, consider giving them an additional day to complete the discussion portion of the task. between groups frequently and allow students to do their roles even when you are listening.

In the last five to ten minutes in the period, begin collecting the individual reports from the groups, have them put their group folder back in order, and have the summarizer report out to the rest of the class on the group’s progress and/or discussion.

Make sure to read and score each individual report using the rubric (Appendix A) before the next day so that all students can get feedback on how they are doing so far and so that you can correct any misconceptions or help groups that are struggling and give them a chance to re-do any incomplete work before moving on to the presentation portion of the group task.

Day 2 (50 minute period)— Break students into their groups again, assigning new students to the group roles, so that different students get the chance to do each role. Explain that today each group will be preparing a group presentation described on their activity cards related to their group’s element of culture and/or geographic theme. Show them the rubric you (and they) will be using to score their group’s presentation. Make sure to explain that a key element is making sure that all group members have a role in the presentation.

The graded individual reports should be returned in the group folder. Instruct materials managers to pass out the individual reports and determine if the group needs to go back to the sources and keep working on them and revise their individual reports before moving on to the next part of the task. As groups begin working, this is your chance to help any groups that seemed to be struggling based on the quality and completeness of their individual reports from the day before.

Groups should spend the remainder of the period, working on creating their group’s presentation task. This includes gathering or creating any props or other materials needed for the presentation the next day or period.3 Provide a materials table or cart with supplies for this, such as markers, glue, tape, scissors, fabric, costumes, different types of paper, cardboard, etc. All materials managers are responsible for (and the only ones allowed to) getting materials from the cart and returning them in an orderly fashion. At the end of the period, make sure each group cleans up, is prepared to present on the following day (or period), and that the summarizer reports out on the progress and needs of the group and whether the group needs any more time to prepare. Based on the needs voiced, adjust the plans for the

3 If you have more than one 50 minute period with the class during the day, consider putting days two and three together so that the presentations can come immediately upon completion of the preparation for them. This will place some time pressure on the groups and allow them to clean up and not need to store any props or use time to re-prepare. presentation period as needed, determining whether more time (or less) is needed to prepare before presenting. Consider having all group members (or groups) complete an exit slip (Appendix B) before leaving where they write what they personally accomplished that day and what their role will be in the presentation. This will allow for you to double check that all groups are ready to present and that each student in the group has a role.

Day 3 (50 minute period)— Have the students break into groups, again with new roles, and give 10-15 minutes to prepare to present, including ensuring that all students in the group have a role in the presentation. Check in with all groups and have them move themselves and any props to where the presentations will take place. As each group presents, have the other students not presenting, take notes on the presentation (see provided note- taking sheet; Appendix C) and explain what they learned from the presentation. After all presentations are finished, have each individual student complete a self and group evaluation on which is room for you to give the group and individual grade and/or comments for the student (Appendix D). As each group presents, complete the group presentation rubric (Appendix E).

Spend the remainder of the class cleaning up and putting away all props and materials and getting each group’s folder returned, in order, to you.

Appendix A: Individual Report Rubric (copy to the back of each individual report for easy grading)

4 3 2 1 Content Answers were based in Answers were mainly based in Answers had some Little evidence that the

evidence from the source evidence from the source basis in source material, writer had read or used material provided. Writer material provided. Writer but much of the the source materials to

clearly demonstrated demonstrated some response was not based create response. Very understanding of the understanding of the cultural in reference to the limited to no ______cultural element and/or element and/or geographic evidence provided. demonstration of geographic theme theme presented. Response Showed limited understanding. presented. Response used used reference to sources but understanding of the Response either was quotations and/or direct may not have been exact. cultural element or missing content or was reference to sources. geographic theme. lacking in detail. Few or no details given. Quality of Each response was over 6- Responded to each question Either responded with Responded with fewer Response 8 sentences long with clear with 4-5 sentences. Some only 2-3 sentences for than 2 sentences to

response to all questions details given. each question OR each question. One asked. Many details given. responded in detail to question may have been ______only one question. Only skipped entirely. a few details given. Readability Very few errors (0-1) in A few errors (2-3) in Some errors (3-4) in Many errors (5+) in

capitalization, spelling, capitalization, spelling, capitalization, spelling, capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. punctuation, and grammar. punctuation, and punctuation, and ______Writes in complete Writes in complete sentences. grammar. Some run-ons grammar. Frequent run- sentences with variety of or sentence fragments. ons or fragments. sentence types. Original Author wrote own Author wrote own responses, Response is nearly the Responses are exactly Work responses entirely with no but may have some small same as other group the same amongst

evidence of copying commonality between group members. Shows group members OR between group members. responses suggestive of evidence of some between 2 or more ______working together. copying between group group members. members. Overall Teacher Comments: Score:

Appendix B: Exit Slip for Day 2

Name: Name:

Group Topic: Group Topic:

EXIT SLIP FOR DAY 2 EXIT SLIP FOR DAY 2

1. Describe the presentation your group worked on today: 1. Describe the presentation your group worked on today:

2. Explain what your role will be in tomorrow’s 2. Explain what your role will be in tomorrow’s presentation: presentation:

3. Does your group still need to work on something? If so, 3. Does your group still need to work on something? If so, what and how much time is needed? what and how much time is needed? Appendix C: Presentation Note-Taking Sheet

Directions: For each group, list the group topic. Then in 3-4 sentences explain what the presentation was about and what you learned. Try to make a connection between the presentation and something we have already learned about related to Islam or West Africa.

Use the following sentence starters to help you:

The presentation was about…. I learned that… I learned how…

I learned about… This is similar to… The presentation showed how…

Group 1 Topic:

Description of Presentation, Learning, and Connections:

Group 2 Topic:

Description of Presentation, Learning, and Connections:

Group 3 Topic:

Description of Presentation, Learning, and Connections:

Appendix D: Group and Self Evaluation

Score Your Group (4-1) Score Yourself (4-1) Presentation Our group’s presentation content and format should For the presentation content and format, I Content receive a , because… personally should receive a , because… & Format

Team Work

For teamwork, our group should receive a , For teamwork, I personally should receive a ,

_ because… because…

Presentation Our group’s presentation quality should receive a Quality , because… For presentation quality, I should receive a , because…

Effort

Our group’s effort should receive a _, For effort, I should personally receive a _, because… because… Overall Score Average: For My Group:______/16 (add up!) For Me: ______/16(add up!)

______

Appendix E: Group Presentation Rubric

4 3 2 1 Presentation Presentation was about the Presentation was mainly about Presentation was only Presentation had little Content topic assigned. the topic assigned. partly about the topic to do with topic.

Presentation masterfully Presentation was somewhat assigned. Presentation Presentation both and creatively shared topic creative and shared most of lacked creativity OR did lacked creativity and

with the class. the topic with the class. not share topic well class did not learn much with class. about topic from ______watching it. Presentation Presentation corresponded Presentation used the format Presentation was either Presentation lacked Format to the format assigned assigned. Showed some somewhat out of format many elements of the

extremely well. Showed cleverness or creativity in use or some element of format assigned. cleverness and creativity in of format. Adequate length but format was missing. Extremely short ______use of format. Appropriate may have been a little to long Length of presentation presentation for format length for format. or short. did not match format. assigned. Team Work All team members All team members participated Most team members Most of group did not

participated in in presentation, but participated in participate in presentation. Group clearly participation was unequal or presentation but very presentation and it was ______worked well together. one member may have stood unequally. Group did unequal. Group had out. Group worked well not appear to work well many problems together. together. working together. Presentation All members knew their Most members knew their Not all members knew Members did not know Quality roles and spoke loudly and roles and spoke clearly. their role and/or spoke their roles and/or were

clearly. Presentation was a Presentation was mainly a clearly. Presentation very difficult to hear or finished product. finished product. May have was somewhat understand. ______still needed one or two incomplete. Presentation was finishing touches. incomplete. Overall Teacher Comments: Score: Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 1: Songs of Slavery Along the Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Activity Card

People make up songs and poetry to entertain themselves and to remember important events and social issues. Historians often turn to popular songs and poetry to find out what happened, what issues were important to people, and how different people reacted to events of the times.

As a team, listen to musical track 3 on the CD, look at the resource cards for translations of other Gnaouan song lyrics and examine the musical instruments used and look at the photographs of Gnaouan musicians. Discuss the questions below:

1. Look at the instruments and match the sounds with those of the song on the CD. All of the instruments were portable (able to be carried). Why was it important to have portable instruments on the trans-Saharan trade route?

2. Who is singing the song and what is the mood of the song? How are the mood and the role of the singer related to the topic of the song?

3. What words or phrases in the song give information about events that took place on the trans-Saharan trade route? Based on the song, what was an important resource traded along these routes?

4. What do the instruments, musicians, and the song lyrics show about how musical traditions developed and intersected between West Africa and Islam along the trans-Saharan trade route?

5. How are songs about historical events different from stories about historical events?

* * *

As a team, compose a stanza or entire song that tells the story of the gold-salt trade from the perspective of an enslaved salt miner, a hard-working gold miner, or a nomadic trader. You may compose your own music or adapt a song’s music that you already know. Use the musical instruments provided to create a beat or rhythm for your song that fits the mood of the topic. Share your song with the class. Be sure to explain your assignment and why you chose the mood/beat. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 1: Songs of Slavery Along the Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Resource Card The Gnaouan musical artists are black African musicians who were originally brought to Morocco as part of the slave trade and then settled in Morocco. Their music talks about historical events, religious beliefs (both Islamic and tribal), and other current cultural and social topics.

Musical Track 3: “Allah Ya Marhba” (Allah is the Arabic name for God)

Song Lyrics:

They brought us. They brought us. They brought us. They sold us at the market. The children of the Fulani. The children of the Hasawa. The children of the Niger. They brought us. They brought us. They brought us.

Musical Instruments Used on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes:

Talking Drum: A drum held under the arm that has hide stretched on both sides and cords of palm that can be compressed by the arm to create different tones. It is tapped using a drum stick made of wood on different parts of the membrane to create varying sounds and can be made to sound as if “talking.”

Tirint Guitar: A three-stringed guitar with a small resonating belly and long neck. There are two male strings and one female string, which are plucked and strummed to create music.

Hand Cymbals: Pairs of metal cymbals worn on the thumb and middle finger are clicked together at different speeds and rhythms to create a loud percussive base.

Two-bellied Drum: This drum is made of two frames, one smaller and one larger, lashed together with strings of hide that pull the membrane of the drum across the frames of the drums. The drum is played by holding the drum between crossed legs and using the fingertips and the palm of the hand to hit the two membranes. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 2: What The Songs of Berber Nomadic Tribeswomen Tell Us

Activity Card

As a team, look at the resource card for the translations of Berber women’s song lyrics and other tribal lyrics and listen to the musical track #3 on the CD from contemporary musician, Rokia Traore. Traditionally, these poems were sung to a beat by the bride and other women in a semi-public space, such as at a wedding. Discuss the questions below:

1. What topics did Berber women and men sing about?

2. What can you tell about the rhymes and rhythms used in the songs? Considering nomadic lifestyle and lack of education, why might songs be short and need to rhyme?

3. Listen to track 3 on the CD provided. Who is singing the song and what is the mood of the song? How are the mood and the role of the singer related to the topic of the song?

4. What words or phrases in the songs give information about nomadic life? What resources did they value and what other things can you tell about their dress and lifestyle?

5. What do the song lyrics show about what nomadic peoples valued?

6. How are poems and songs about events and issues different from stories or articles about events and issues? * * * As a team, compose two short songs/poems (each “stanza”—the poem’s “paragraphs”—should be two lines long and rhyming, so that they can be sent as a text message). One should tell the story of an important current event or social issue in our community and the other should be a flirting poem. Just as Berber poems reference important objects, beliefs, and customs in their poems, yours should reference ones today. Put your poems to some kind of beat or music that fits the mood and topic of the subject matter. Share your poems with the class and explain why you used each beat. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS? Activity 2: What The Songs of Berber Nomadic Tribeswomen Tell Us

Resource Card Selections from “Poetry as a Strategy of Power: The Case of Riffian Berber Women” Author(s): Terri Brint Joseph Source: Signs, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Spring, 1980), pp. 418-434 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173583 Accessed: 26/04/2010 17:37 “Form and Composition of the Songs songs," as a metaphor to suggest that its Extremely brief, the Berber song is made up singer is unattractive and that no one wants of a single couplet. Each of the two lines is to marry her: roughly twelve syllables long, although some contain only nine and others as many as Madesrah wuware na-we thanen-awanu fifteen. Each song is introduced by a Ra-la thasherethine agmathunt sufero traditional chorus which can be repeated as [I have no songs! I'm like a rock which has often as the singers wish: fallen in a well.... Oh, my friend, catch the rock with a Ayah-rala boyah-ayah rala boya string.] Ayah-rala boyah-ayah rala boya Ayah-ra (la) boyah etc. … The Berbers them-selves, of course, are Most Riffians interviewed for this study consciously aware of the wedding as the regard this chorus as a series of sounds with context for the songs, as one lyric specifically no meaning. They say it is used because "it is indicates: the custom." Several informants, however, Eh-ham rid gazar nunkor swatad er henne reported that the initial a is a vocative like Wo-men gabridan saad enesh ma tuniye. the English "oh"; yah-rala was said to be a [River Nekkor has risen, bringing tea and form of la la, madame, or lady, in this case the henna bride's mother; and boyah a form of baba, When luck was divided among us, I alone father. One anthropological account has was forgotten.] translated the refrain as "Oh look, oh look, look at the bride." … Since these negotiations will lead to Rather than use formulaic or set material … marriage, the singer, if she does not care for Berber singers engage in self-conscious him, must discourage the young man so composition, scrutinizing their work and thoroughly in her lyrics that he will subjecting it to numerous revisions. Indeed, voluntarily with-draw his offer: there seem to be no Berber girls who are A thsib-banah-tasebnath: astsah ho fades unable to compose and perform original Jemah sucarinik-nish d shik udentes songs. Composing is not only a privilege but a [I am going to wash my fringed head scarf; responsibility. It is expected that each girl I shall hang it on the bush: will be a poet just as it is expected that each Take your sugar away! You and I aren't woman will bake bread for her family. One good together.]” Berber song uses the complaint, "I have no Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 3: Nomadic Lifestyle in the Saharan Desert and Atlas Mountains

Activity Card

Historians often turn to art, architecture, and craftwork of the period they are studying for clues about how people lived and what they wanted to remember.

As a team examine the photographs and artifacts of nomadic tribal life. Discuss the questions below:

1. What do these photographs and artifacts show you about how nomadic tribes lived? How did they survive and what did they do as part of a daily routine?

2. What does the architecture of the nomadic dwellings tell you about how nomads adapted to their environment?

3. Based on the photographs and artifacts, what resources and abilities did nomadic tribes value?

4. Why was it important for nomads to live and travel as a part of a tribe? What benefits did they gain by doing so?

5. What do you think were the roles of men and women in the tribe? What were the roles of children?

* * *

As a team, design pages of a children’s book or a simple children’s game to teach young children in the tribe how to be a nomad. Share your creation(s) with the class. Be sure to explain what each part teaches about nomadic life. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 3: Nomadic Lifestyle in the Saharan Desert and Atlas Mountains

Resource Card

Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 4: Ibn Battuta’s Account of Crossing the Desert by Caravan

Activity Card

An important resource for historians are eye-witness accounts of historical events. Ibn Battuta was an Arab historian who traveled across the Islamic empires of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and wrote down descriptions of what he saw and experienced.

As a team, read the selections from Ibn Battuta’s account of crossing the desert from Syria to Medina and the Saharan Desert as a part of a caravan. Examine the trade maps and routes provided as well. Discuss the questions below:

1. What was the length of Ibn Battuta’s journey and what supplies did he prepare or need to make it successfully through the desert?

2. How did geographic conditions (e.g. climate, terrain, etc.) play a role in his journey?

3. What difficulties did travelers face when crossing the Sahara?

4. Why was it important to travel as part of a group (caravan)?

5. What unusual places or resources did he encounter in the desert that you would not have expected?

6. Looking at the photographs and maps, what resources do you notice and which does the desert seem to lack?

* * *

As a team, design a mural depicting the people, places, and difficulties encountered while crossing the Sahara by caravan. Use Ibn Battuta’s vivid descriptions and the photographs and maps for ideas. Share your mural with the class. Be sure to explain what each part or detail shows about the caravan experience. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 4: Excerpts from Ibn Battuta’s Account of Crossing the Sahara by Caravan

Resource Card

“At Sijilmasa [at the edge of the desert] I suitable for pasturage we would graze our bought camels and a four months' supply of beasts. We went on doing this until one of forage for them. Thereupon I set out on the our party was lost in the desert; after that I 1st Muharram of the year 53 [AH 753, neither went ahead nor lagged behind. We February 13, 1352] with a caravan passed a caravan on the way and they told including, amongst others, a number of the us that some of their party had become merchants of Sijilmasa. separated from them. We found one of The saltworks at the oasis of Taghaza them dead under a shrub, of the sort that After twenty-five days [from Sijilmasa] we grows in the sand, with his clothes on and a reached Taghaza, an unattractive village, whip in his hand. The water was only about with the curious feature that its houses and a mile away from him. mosques are built of blocks of salt, roofed The oasis of Tisarahla, where the with camel skins. There are no trees there, caravan hires a desert guide nothing but sand. In the sand is a salt mine; We came next to Tisarahla, a place of they dig for the salt, and find it in thick subterranean water-beds, where the slabs, lying one on top. of the other, as caravans halt. They stay there three days to though they had been tool-squared and laid rest, mend their waterskins, fill them with under the surface of the earth. A camel will water, and sew on them covers of sackcloth carry two of these slabs… as a precaution against the wind. “W e passed ten days of discomfort there, … because the water is brackish and the place “It often happens that the "takshif"4 perishes is plagued with flies. Water supplies are laid in this desert, with the result that the people in at Taghaza for the crossing of the desert of Iwalatan know nothing about the which lies beyond it, which is a ten-nights' caravan, and all or most of those who are journey with no water on the way except on with it perish. That desert is haunted by rare occasions. We indeed had the good demons; if the "takshif" be alone, they make fortune to find water in plenty, in pools left sport of him and disorder his mind, so that by the rain. One day we found a pool of he loses his way and perishes. For there is sweet water between two rocky no visible road or track in these parts, prominences. We quenched our thirst at it nothing but sand blown hither and thither by and then washed our clothes. Truffles are the wind. You see hills of sand in one place, plentiful in this desert and it swarms with and afterwards you will see them moved to lice, so that people wear string necklaces quite another place. containing mercury, which kills them.

Death in the desert At that time we used to go ahead of the caravan, and when we found a place 4 “Takshif” is a word for a desert guide.

Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 5: Accounts of the Gold-Salt Trade between North Africa and the Kingdom of Mali

Activity Card

As a team, read the selections from Ibn Battuta and Al-Bakri’s accounts of the gold-salt trade between North Africa and the Kingdom of Mali. Examine the trade map and routes provided as well. Discuss the questions below:

1. Why was the city of Taghaza unusual? What resource that was a key part of the trading was obtained there?

2. Look for the locations of Sijilmasa, Taghaza, the Niger River, and Timbuktu on the trade map. Trace the route(s) that would allow traders to trade between North Africa and West Africa. What geographic difficulties (climate and terrain) did this pose to merchants and traders?

3. Why was the king of Mali so powerful and wealthy? What did he have that made him this way and how do you think he maintained his power?

4. Why do you think merchants traveled in groups as part of a caravan?

5. If you wanted to convince a fellow merchant to make this difficult journey, what would you say to make him want to go to Timbuktu and the kingdom of Mali?

* * *

As a team, write a short skit in which an experienced merchant who has traveled the trans-Saharan trade routes convinces some younger traders who are afraid of the Sahara Desert to join his caravan group about to set out for Timbuktu. Your skit should share the route they will take (where they will go), the goods they will trade, what to expect, and what is in it for them—how they will benefit from going there. Use Ibn Battuta’s vivid descriptions and the maps for ideas. Perform your skit for the class. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 5: Excerpts from Ibn Battuta’s Account of the Gold-Salt Trade Between North Africa and the Kingdom of Mali

Resource Card

After returning to Fez, in 1352 Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta reaches the Niger river, which he crosses the Sahara and makes a tour of the mistakenly believes to be the Nile kingdom of Mali, including the city of The Nile [actually the Niger] flows from there Timbuktu. down to Kabara, and thence to Zagha. In both Ibn Battuta prepares to cross the Sahara Kabara and Zagha there are sultans who owe At Sijilmasa [at the edge of the desert] I bought allegiance to the king of Malli. The inhabitants camels and a four months' supply of forage for of Zagha are of old standing in Islam; they show them. Thereupon I set out on the 1st Muharram great devotion and zeal for study. of the year 53 [AH 753, February 13, 1352] with Thence the Nile [Niger] descends to Tumbuktu a caravan including, amongst others, a number [Timbuktoo] and Gawgaw [Gogo], both of which of the merchants of Sijilmasa. will be described later; then to the town of Muli The saltworks at the oasis of Taghaza in the land of the Limis, which is the frontier After twenty-five days [from Sijilmasa] we province of [the kingdom of] Malli; thence to reached Taghaza, an unattractive village, with Yufi, one of the largest towns of the negroes, the curious feature that its houses and whose ruler is one of the most considerable of mosques are built of blocks of salt, roofed with the negro rulers. It cannot be visited by any camel skins. There are no trees there, nothing white man because they would kill him before but sand. In the sand is a salt mine; they dig for he got there. the salt, and find it in thick slabs, lying one on top. of the other, as though they had been tool- The following description of the squared and laid under the surface of the earth. Kingdom of Ghana was written by Al- A camel will carry two of these slabs. Bakri, a member of a prominent Spanish th No one lives at Taghaza except the slaves of Arab family who lived during the 11 the Massufa tribe, who dig for the salt; they century: subsist on dates imported from Dar'a and On every donkey-load of salt when it is brought Sijilmasa, camels' flesh, and millet imported into the country their king levies one golden from the Negrolands. The negroes come up dinar and two dinars5 when it is sent out. … The from their country and take away the salt from best gold is found in his land comes from the there. At Iwalatan a load of salt brings eight to town of Ghiyaru, which is eighteen days’ ten mithqals; in the town of Malli [Mali] it sells traveling distance from the king’s town over a for twenty to thirty, and sometimes as much as country inhabited by tribes of the Sudan whose dwellings are continuous… forty. The negroes use salt as a medium of exchange, just as gold and silver is used The king of Ghana when he calls up his [elsewhere]; they cut it up into pieces and buy army, can put 200,000 men into the field, more and sell with it. The business done at Taghaza, than 40,000 of them archers. for all its meanness, amounts to an enormous figure in terms of hundredweights of gold-dust.

… 5 Dinar—a unit of money collected as a tax

Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Timbuktu : A Center for Trade

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HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 6: Ibn Battuta’s Description of the Importance of Islam, the Qu’ran, and the Arabic Language

Activity Card

As a team, read the selections from Ibn Battuta’s account of what was valued in education in West Africa. Examine the copies of the Qu’ran and the wooden slab used to learn Arabic provided as well. Discuss the questions below:

1. Why were the children in Ibn Battuta’s account chained up? What did their father want them to do? Why might memorization be an important skill?

2. Looking at both accounts, what elements of Islam were present in Ghana and Mali? How were Islamic forms of worship influenced by West Africa?

3. Examine the copies of the Qu’ran. How is it similar and different from a textbook? How is it similar or different to other holy books (like the Bible)?

4. What language is written on the wooden slab and in the Qu’ran? What does this show you about schooling in West Africa? Which religion would have promoted this type of education?

5. What does Ibn Battuta’s story show about what was valued in terms of education? What did they consider it was important to know? How is this similar or different to the education you are receiving and what is taught in school now in the United States?

6. In West Africa at that time and even in the present much of the schooling is based on the religion of Islam. Do you think that education should be based on a religion or learning about religious beliefs?

* * * As a team, write a short skit where a teacher in Timbuktu is answering children’s questions about the benefits of attending a Quranic school. These students are not sure they really need to learn to read or go to school, so the teacher must convince them to attend. The teacher should explain what they are going to study and why it is important for them to study these things. Be sure to explain what books they will study from and how they will study as well as the influence of religion and language on their studies. Make sure your skit is interactive between the teacher and children and persuades the students that attending Quranic school is worthwhile. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 6: Description of the Importance of Islam, the Qu’ran, and the Arabic Language to Kingdom’s in West Africa

Resource Card

Selection from Ibn Battuta’s Account of the The following description of the Kingdom Kingdom of Mali from 1352 of Ghana was written by Al-Bakri, a Their piety member of a prominent Spanish Arab On Fridays, if a man does not go early to the family who lived during the 11th century. mosque, he cannot find a corner to pray in, on The city of Ghana consists of two towns account of the crowd. It is a custom of theirs to situated on a plain. One of these towns, send each man his boy [to the mosque] with his which is inhabited by Muslims, is large and prayer-mat; the boy spreads it out for his possesses twelve mosques, in which they master in a place befitting him [and remains on assemble for the Friday prayer. There are it] until he comes to the mosque. Their prayer- salaried imams and muezzins, as well as mats are made of the leaves of a tree jurists and scholars. In the environs are wells resembling a date-palm, but without fruit. with sweet water, from which they drink and Another of their good qualities is their habit with which they grow vegetables. The king’s of wearing clean white garments on Fridays. town is six miles distant from this one…. Even if a man has nothing but an old worn Between these two towns are continuous shirt, he washes it and cleans it, and wears it to habitations. …In the king’s town, and not far the Friday service. Yet another is their zeal for from his court of justice, is a mosque where learning the Koran by heart. They put their the Muslims who arrive at his court pray. children in chains if they show any Around the king’s town are domed buildings backwardness in memorizing it, and they are and groves and thickets where the sorcerers not set free until they have it by heart. I visited of these people, men in charge of the the qadi in his house on the day of the festival. religious cult, live. In them too are their idols His children were chained up, so I said to him, and the tombs of their kings. These woods "Will you not let them loose?" He replied, "I are guarded and none may enter them and shall not do so until they learn the Koran by know what is there…. heart."

Mosque—Muslim house of worship Koran—the Muslim holy book Imam—A Muslim religious leader of prayers Arabic—the language spoken on the Arabian Peninsula and used in the Koran Muezzin—The person in Islam who calls people to prayer 5 times a day Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS?

Activity 7: The Intersection of Islam and West Africa in Trans-Saharan Designs

Activity Card

Historians often turn to art, architecture, and craftwork of the period they are studying for clues about how people lived and what they wanted to remember.

As a team examine the photographs and artifacts showing clothing and designs from different parts of the trans-Saharan trade routes. Also look at the resource card explaining different design elements. Discuss the questions below:

1. Based on the photographs, map, and artifacts, what special kinds of clothing did people wear on the trans-Saharan trade routes? What elements of their clothes helped them adapt to traveling through a desert?

2. What kind of colors and patterns were worn? Most of the patterns are from West Africa, which had smaller tribes within the larger kingdom of Mali. What might the patterns tell about the person wearing them?

3. The religion of Islam began in the Arabian Peninsula which is also mainly desert. What clothing elements might they have brought to West Africa when they came to trade and had to cross the Sahara desert?

4. According to the description of the King of Ghana and his court, how did people dress? What does this show about their status/importance and how did Islam intersect with the religion already there?

5. How do these craftworks and architectural designs show the influence of Islam on West Africa?

6. Conversely, how do these craftworks and architectural designs show West Africa’s influence on Islam?

* * *

As a team, use the clothing and cloth provided as well as any additional creations of your own to create a trans-Saharan fashion show. You will need to narrate each outfit and explain its utility for a desert traveler as well as how it shows the blending of Islamic, West African, and nomadic cultural and artistic traditions. Share your runway and fashion show with the class. Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

HOW DO HIOSWTO DROIA HNSIS TKONROIWANS AB KONUTOW C UABLTUOUTRA CLU ALNDTU RGAEOL GARNDAP GHEIOC GINTRAEPRHSIECC TIONS? INTERSECTIONS? Activity 7: The Intersection of Islam and West Africa in Trans-Saharan Designs

Resource Card

The following description of the Kingdom of sits on the ground before the king and around Ghana was written by Al-Bakri, a member of him are ministers seated likewise. At the door a prominent Spanish Arab family who lived of the pavilion are dogs of excellent pedigree during the 11th century. who hardly ever leave the place where the king is, guarding him. Round their necks they wear The king’s interpreters, the official in charge of collars of gold and silver studded with a his treasury and the majority of his ministers number of balls of the same metals. are Muslims. Among the people who follow the king’s religion only he and his heir apparent The 1375 Catalan map (part of the (who is the son of his sister) may wear sewn Mapamundi) was drawn by Abraham clothes. All other people wear robes of cotton, Crepques of Mallorca and has a section dealing silk, or brocade, according o their means. All of with Northwest Africa. It shows the King them shave their beards, and women shave Mansa Musa of Mali (holding a large nugget of their heads. The king adorns himself like a gold) trading with the nomad on the left. The woman (wearing necklaces) round his neck and Atlas mountains are clearly visible. (bracelets) on his forearms, and he puts on a The section top left translates as: Through high cap decorated with gold and wrapped in a this place pass the merchants who travel to the turban of fine cotton. He sits in audience or to land of the negroes of Guinea, which place they hear grievances against officials in a domed call the valley of the Dra'a. pavilion around which stand ten horses covered with gold-embroidered materials. The section middle left translates as All this Behind the king stand ten pages holding shields region is occupied by people who veil their and swords decorated with gold, and on his mouths; one only sees their eyes. They live in right are the sons of the (vassel) kings of his tents and have caravans of camels. There are country wearing splendid garments and their also beasts called Lemp from the skins of which hair plaited with gold. The governor of the city they make fine shields.

Unit: Cross-Cultural Exchange on the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes